Baron Rouge
by Futomaki
Summary: Toyosatomimi no Miko enlists the help of a villager to establish and run a café.
1. A Café? No way!

"Futo, I'd like for you to search around the Human Village for a vacant building sufficient enough to establish a small café with."

"Might I ask thine reasoning, Crown Prince?"

Toyosatomimi no Miko is quite an interesting character. Her light blonde hair is shaped somewhat like horns atop her head, and earmuffs cover her ears. If one didn't know, they would mistake her hair for ears (which is not the case).

"I thought maybe it was time for a change. Wouldn't you like to experience something new?" Miko rested her head upon her hands. "Don't be a spoilsport now, Futo."

"Aren't thee content with the Mausoleum?" Mononobe no Futo is a diligent follower of Miko. Her silver hair is tied back into a ponytail, and an eboshi on her head. Usually, she wouldn't question Miko, but the idea of a café?

"Silly Futo. We're not moving anywhere. We're simply going to be running a café- after all the renovations are done, of course- during some of our free time. Tojiko will be assisting too, and quite possibly with the help of-"

"Not Lady Kaku as well, Crown Prince! She is quite an... atrocious character." Futo cut off Miko mid-sentence. She lowered her head. "Forgive me for mine assumptions. I know thee will make the right decision about this."

"Actually, I wasn't planning on enlisting Seiga's help. She has quite an infamous reputation, and I don't plan on having my own reputation tarnished because of her. Wouldn't you agree?" Miko lowers a hand off her chin, and lifts Futo's head up with her finger. "There's no reason to apologize for something so true in nature, my dear Futo."

"Thy forgiveness is a blessing." Futo smiled, making Miko smile as well.

"That's why I'm planning to enlist the help of a villager. A talented one." She stands up. "One that I'll find while you find the vacant building. Of course we'll have to ask the village council to willingly give us the property."

"Then I'll leave right away! Fear not, for I, Futo of the Mononobe, will find the single most greatest building just for thee, Crown Prince!" Futo gets up soon after Miko, already ready to leave.

"Hold on, don't I get a say?" Soga no Tojiko approaches Futo from behind, and grabs onto her shoulders, causing her unfortunate victim to jump in the process. Tojiko has green hair to her shoulders, and a kanmuri-styled hat.

"Blasted Tojiko! I pray thee, what beith thy business frightening me?!" Futo turned to face the perpetrator, who had a fixed grin on her face.

"Oh, I just did that to make you mad, is all. But in all seriousness, Crown Prince, why didn't you consult me instead of this..." Tojiko looks over at Futo. "Hag."

"I am insulted that thee would go so far as to-"

Miko was glad she had at least some form of protection on her ears. A couple minutes of those two in the same room together makes them quite bitter towards eachother. _Better_ _not_ _risk_ _them_ _working_ _the_ _same_ _days_ _together_ , _or_ _they'll_ _drive any potential customers away_.

"Alright you two, that's quite enough. Now, Tojiko, I apologize for not including you in this discussion, but this is a matter that I'd like to start working on as soon as possible. You do understand, don't you?" Miko flashed a quick smile before begining to walk out, turning towards Tojiko at the entrance of the Masouleum. "You may choose to come with me, or you can assist Futo in her endeavor to find the most suitable building."

"You already know my answer, Crown Prince."

* * *

The hustle and bustle of the Human Village always bothered Miko. If she didn't have her earmuffs on, her ability of being able to listen to as many as ten conversations at one time would drive her mad. Tojiko particularly enjoyed the noise, and the chaos that usually ensued.

Most of the villagers were self-sufficient; they're usually found manning a booth in the local market. Finding a villager with a different set of skills is very rare. However, Miko was determined to find said villager.

"If I was a villager with unique skills, where would I reside, Tojiko?" She looked over at her companion, who was eying every villager that they passed by.

"Somewhere that nobody would suspect. The Village Hall, perhaps?"

"Excellent choice! Does the Village Head have a child?" Miko pondered over this thought.

"Two, actually. A set of twins, if I recall. Maybe one would be willing to help the cause?" Tojiko began to make her way towards a huge building that was located in the center of the village.

"Perhaps. We shall see, then."

As the two Taoists entered the enormous building, they noticed the many elaborate decorations that adorned the vast amount of hallways. It reminded Miko of the Masouleum.

The few members of the village's council were meeting in the main room. Most of them looked eager to be there, while one in particular was dreading the ordeal. Miko and Tojiko hid by a corridor in the hallway. They eavesdropped for just a few minutes before a gruff voice spoke up above the rest.

Miko stuck her head out just a bit to look.

"And it's settled, then. No villager shall go out without a certified escort." A man, looking to be in his mid-fourties, smacked a wooden gavel down on the table. _The_ _Village Head_ , Miko thought. "Meeting adjourned."

All of the members got up and began to walk towards Miko and Tojiko.

"We're in quite the predicament, Tojiko. Act like we just arrived. **Hello, there!** " Miko acts like she wasn't listening in on their meeting. "May I speak with the Village Head?"

"I am him. And who do I have- oh, you're that Taoist, aren't you?" He pointed a finger at Miko. " _Toyotasatomimi_ no Miko."

" _Toyosatomimi_ no Miko. And yes, I am said Taoist. Accompanying me is one of my followers, Tojiko." On cue, Miko gestured to Tojiko, who curtsied.

"Okay, _Toyosatomimi_ no Miko. What do you want?"

"You have children, yes?" Kyō nods at Miko's question. "Well, we would like to-"

"Father, let's go. I don't want to be late for our next meeting." A man with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes tapped Kyō on the shoulder, who turned to look at his supposed son.

"Not now, Nigel, I'm having a conversation with... er, Miko."

"That's Crown Prince to you, peas-" Tojiko lashed out, but Miko covered her mouth before she could finish her sentence.

"There's no need for such formalities, my dear Tojiko. Please ignore her previous statement," Miko smiled. "Now, Nigel, how would you like to assist me in a project that I'm working on?"

"Oh, uh, I dunno. That depends on the project." Nigel scratched his head. "What's it entail?"

"All I need is a very capable man such as yourself to help me, Tojiko, and Futo in the café we are planning on establishing. You would help cook, help serve, and best of all," Miko leans in closer to Nigel and whispers, " _You wouldn't have to stick around with your father anymore. Quite a bore, isn't he?_ "

"Very... capable? Me? Well, I know one thing," He looks at Kyō while he whispers, " _My father is very boring when it comes to his meetings. I'm just glad I don't live with him anymore_. **Ahem**. Given that **you** are asking **me** for help... okay. I accept your offer."

"Just like that?... I mean... excellent! We'll begin immediately, with your father's consent."

"I don't see why not." Kyō says.

"Come with us then, Nigel. You won't regret your decision!"

* * *

With Nigel in tow, Miko's plan was almost complete. Now all she needed was news on the building...

"Crown Prince, halt! I bear excellent news!" Futo came running up to Miko and her enturage. "The council hath permitted thee to use the building I chose as the café you desire!"

"My, my, the bearer of excellent news, aren't you, Futo..." Tojiko rolled her eyes. "Let's just see what building you picked out before we start celebrating."

"Thee is looking straight at it." Futo turns around. "A beauty, no?"

"That's the oldest building in the village. It was previously used as a bed and breakfast back when I was little," Nigel spoke up. "It's very preserved on the outside... did you look on the inside?"

Futo shrugged.

"The Crown Prince told me to look for a suitable **building**. She did not mention the interior."

"Don't tell me," Tojiko suppressed a laugh. "Something's wrong with the inside of the building?"

"Well, the interior was the whole reason the bed and breakfast was shut down. It was covered in... I'd rather not say." Nigel closed his eyes. "Very disgusting."

"Well, the council wouldn't have given us permission to use a contaminated building, would they?" Miko was very optimistic at this point, as everything up to this point has gone quite well. "Let's just take a look, then."

The trio followed Miko towards the building. Futo handed her the key when they arrived.

"Here we go." Inside, Miko was hoping that the interior wasn't as bad as Nigel had said it was.

But when she opened the door, it was worse than she anticipated.

A stench overwhelmed the group as soon as they stepped a foot inside. It was no surprise to see what was causing the stench.

In the far corner, a pile of dead animals and rotten food was stacked up waist high. Some carcasses looked fresh, while others looked years old.

"Utterly filthy!" Futo exclaimed. " 'tis very unkempt."

Tojiko approached Futo from behind, with a fresh carcass in hand.

"A carcass just FELL ON YOU!" She dropped the carcass on Futo.

"AAAAH!" After letting out a scream, Futo squeamishly ran behind Miko.

Tojiko laughed at Futo's reaction.

"D-Didst thou try to give me a heart attack? Thee art v-very witty!" Futo peeked at Tojiko.

"Are they like this all the time?" Nigel looked over at Miko, who nodded in response.

"You won't have to worry about them. You won't have to work with both of them on the same day." Miko smiled disturbingly at Tojiko. "I would appreciate it if you made a good impression on Nigel, Tojiko. You as well, Futo. That means STOP your shenanigans."

"Yes, Crown Prince," the two said in unison.

"Good! Now, let us discuss a name."

"How about _Miko's Café_?" Tojiko suggested.

"Too cliché."

"I hath a suggestion! _The Millennial Bistro_?" Futo chimed in.

"Futo, we're running a café, not a bistro."

" _Baron Rouge_." Nigel got a look from the girls. "Sorry, awful suggestion. I'll shut up."

"No, that sound great!" Miko put a hand on Futo's shoulder. "What do you think?"

"It beith your decision, Crown Prince, but if thee would like mine opinion, I-"

"Then it's settled!" Miko totally ignored Futo's comment.

"We shall establish the greatest café that Gensokyo will ever see in its lifetime, and the café will be called _Baron Rouge_! As for this mess..."

 _Well, we'll see about that_ , Miko thought.

And so, the Taoists (and their new friend) begin their journey to establish a café!

* * *

My muse insisted that I start this. Hopefully I'll stay inspired to continue.

I portrayed the characters to the best of my ability and knowledge (my OCs do not count).

I somewhat got the impression that the Human Village would have some sort of council to settle issues, such as an impending yōkai problem. They would also need a very responsible villager to run it. That's where Kyō comes in!

Please tell me what you think of my story! The more reviews, the more I'll want to continue writing. Don't be afraid to tell me what I messed up on.

-Author


	2. A Grand Proclamation

Wow, my first review!

 _Pretty good story! Looking forward to some more chapters. One thing bugging me though is how the name Nigel seems weird. It's not a problem, just felt that it was out of place for a name since his father is Japanese._

I am aware that Nigel is not a very Japanese name. There's a reason for that, but it will be explained in a later chapter.

Without further ado...

* * *

Toyosatomimi no Miko had just made a grand proclamation.

Now, about that mess...

* * *

The Taoists and their companion are found face-to-face with the biggest problem of their renovation project: the pile of dead animal carcasses that polluted the far corner.

"I volunteer Nigel to move the carcasses. He is the man, after all." Tojiko plugged her nose while waving her hand at Nigel. "Go on."

"What? Why do I have to do it by myself? I thought this was a _joint_ effort!" Nigel crossed his arms.

"He doth have a point. Fear not; I shall help thee, unlike idiotic Tojiko." Futo rolled her sleeves up. "Crown Prince, thou needeth not worry, for me and your newfound disciple will dispose of these ravenous carcasses."

"Futo, he is not my disciple. He is here to help us with the café." Miko removed her cape and handed it to Tojiko, who used her free hand to hold it. "I will help as well, if you don't mind. I don't like the idea of others doing work that I could do myself."

"You mustn't get your hands filthy!" Futo blocked Miko from proceeding any further.

"Futo, please move."

"I already moved them." Nigel was covered in blood. He pointed over at the corner, where indeed, the pile was gone. "You were taking too long to decide, so I went ahead and threw them out in the trash."

 _Quite the impatient one._ Miko thought. _But a very sufficient worker. I made the right decision about this, didn't I? I hope so..._

Wait, why was she doubting herself? She was the esteemed Crown Prince: surely all her decisions were beneficial to her?

"Crown Prince, your cape." Tojiko finally unplugged her nose and held the cape with both of her hands, presenting it to the dazed Miko.

"Ah. Not right now, Tojiko. We have work to do."

 _I must quit thinking like this while Tojiko and Futo are near._

"I'm going to change at my house, then go get a broom and a mop from the school." Nigel said.

"I shall accompany thee." Futo rolled her sleeves back down. "To help carry, of course."

"I'm flattered, but I wouldn't want to trouble you. I'll do it myself."

Without another word, Nigel walks out the front door.

"The nerve of that man! I beith capable of doing tasks that are given to me!" Futo was on fire with anger. "Am I not, Crown Prince?!"

"Very capable." She smiled. "Futo, surely he could mean well by his actions? He's just looking after us, as he thinks that we are fragile women that needn't lift a finger on his watch."

"I be not fragile. I have bested tasks that humans of this age cannot begin to fathom!"

"Yes, but does he know that?"

Futo looked down at the floor.

"...nay, he doth not knoweth."

"It's very okay to be mad, but not for a ridiculous reason." Miko's smile turned into a stern stare. "Understand your mistake and learn from it, alright?"

"Forgive my insolence." Futo bowed. "I do not deserve it."

"It was but a simple mistake. There is no reason why I shouldn't forgive you. Please rise up." Futo obeyed Miko's command. "I forgive you."

"I'm bac- woah, did something happen?" Nigel set down the mop bucket and broom. He rushed over and examined Futo. "Miss, you're face is very red."

"I beith Futo of the Mononobe clan. I am quite fine, 'twas just a fit of anger."

"Oh. Must've made you mad." Nigel went back over to the broom. Futo looked at him with a face of concern. "Don't worry, I make my sister mad all the time. I'm used to it."

"Thou haveth a sister?"

"Yeah. I get jealous sometimes because of her current relationship status. I usually end up yelling at her and making her mad in the process. Her name is Nikki."

"I see." Miko decides to join in.

Nigel goes quiet, as he is now sweeping the floor.

"It is quite unfortunate. Your relationship with your sister, that is. Perhaps it will change."

Nigel simply nods, unwilling to speak about the subject any longer. Miko frowned, but decided against saying anything else. She took her cape back from Tojiko and put it back on.

"Futo, please mop the floor when he is done sweeping. I have something that I need to do."

"As you wish, Crown Prince."

* * *

Miko left the trio by themselves. _Hopefully, Tojiko and Futo won't make it any more difficult for Nigel._

She decided that she would pay a visit to Byakuren Hijiri, a Buddhist priestess (being as she is the head figure of said religion in Gensokyo, it would be presumable for her and Miko to be rivals) with quite a few more followers than Miko herself.

Arriving at the front entrance of the Myouren Temple, a certain teal-haired yamabiko was sweeping the leaves off the pathway.

"Hello, Kyōko." Miko spoke, spooking the poor yamabiko.

"Ah! Oh, HELLO!" Kyōko, being a yamabiko, is very prone to yelling her responses during a conversation (at least from Miko's experience).

"Is Byakuren currently inside? I wish to speak with her."

"YES! I mean, yes, she is inside." Kyōko refrains from yelling the rest of her statement.

"Alright, thank you." Miko passed Kyōko and made her way inside the temple. None of the residents were particularly busy at the moment, but there was still a problem.

Where is Byakuren?

All of her followers were present, but where was she at? Did the yamabiko lie?

"Hello, Miko." Turning around, Miko looked at the source of the voice. It wasn't Byakuren, but Shō Toramaru, a disciple of said priestess (who is technically worshipped by all of the visitors of the temple and the priestess herself).

"Where is Byakuren?" Miko inquired. "The yamabiko outside told me she was inside."

"You must have missed her; she just left for the village. Do you have a message that you need passed on to her?"

"Yes, I do. Tell her, that in three days, my new café, _Baron Rouge_ , will be having its grand opening at 9 o' clock in the morning. I would like for you and your followers to be our first customers."

"A café? Quite a... unique proposition. I will be sure to tell Hijiri." Shō faked a smile before turning around and leaving Miko by herself. _Now, where's my pagoda? I'm sure I left it somewhere around here..._

Seeing as she had no other business at the temple, Miko thought the best thing to do was to leave. However, blocking her way was a certain blue-haired nyuudō user and her companion.

"I didn't see you come in. What brings you here?"

"The tiger yōkai already took care of my request. Unless you would like to hear about what a very remarkable worker that I have assisting in my endeavor?"

"I suppose me and Unzan wouldn't mind. Go on."

"He is the son of the Village Head. Quite a remarkable man, I must say. He's done so much already; why, it made me quite astonished when I compared his work ethic to his personality when I first met him today. It's like he's a whole new person now."

"Oh really? That's quite... interesting. I'm glad for you and your recent discovery." Ichirin look at Unzan, who looked back with a puzzled face and shrugged.

"Thank you! Well, I must be going now. Until next time, perhaps?"

"Yes, until next time."

* * *

Miko had left the Myouren Temple just about an hour ago, and she finally arrived back at the café. She walked inside and marveled at what the trio had accomplished during her leave.

"Crown Prince! You hath returned! Ah, but do not proceed any closer, for I just mopped," Futo exclaimed from the other side of the room. "Stay where thou is standing."

"I'm right on top of the wet floor. Look at me.~" Tojiko floated above the wet part of the floor.

"That's quite hilarious, Tojiko." Futo rolled her eyes.

"The other half of the room is dry. You can walk there." Nigel came out from the back room. "I'm going to go take the cleaning supplies back and head home."

"Don't bother yourself with that. We'll take them back to the school on our way back to the Masouleum." Miko walked over to Nigel and put a hand on his shoulder. "You've done more than enough today. So... thank you."

"You're welcome. It's a joint effort, right?"

"It most certainly is."

Nigel's usually blank face turns into one of pure happiness. Miko removes her hand off his shoulder.

"I'm glad. Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Miko. Tojiko. Futo." He says goodbye to the three and walks out the front door.

"So, what did you three do while I was gone?" Miko walked over to Futo, who wiped the sweat off her brow.

"We learned many trivial facts about each other. Did thou knowest that Nigel was the younger twin?"

"No, I did not." Miko giggled. "That trivial, hm?"

"Oh, but we did learn something interesting. He also frequents the Myouren Temple, but he says that he's not Buddhist. It's really odd." Tojiko floated over to a nearby chair and sat down.

"His father helps with organizing most of the events around Gensokyo, and Nigel was usually hauled around with him. Him frequently going to the temple might be due to the recent dinners that Byakuren has _graciously_ decided to host every so often." Miko observed. "That's what I think."

"Now that you think about it, she's had one almost every week now for the past month, hasn't she?"

"She has. I wonder why?"

"To improve relations with Gensokyo's inhabitants?"

"Possibly. I wonder what Byakuren thinks of all this?"

* * *

Everyone in the Myouren Temple was seated around a table. Mamizō and Nue decided to make an appearance to join in for dinner.

"- _in three days, my new café, **Baron Rouge** , will be having its grand opening at 9 o' clock in the morning. I would like for you and your followers to be our first customers_." Shō relayed the information to the priestess, who was a bit taken aback.

"What gave her such a revelation? Never in my lifetime would I think of seeing someone like her run an establishment like a café. And _Baron Rouge_? I wonder who came up with that name, because it certainly wasn't her." Byakuren tried to decipher the meaning behind it, but it was no use. Nothing at this point seemed to make sense.

"She went on to say that _she acquired the assistance of the Village Head's son, who is quite a remarkable man_ ," Ichirin said. "I never knew that Nigel was such a worker."

"Neither did I. Maybe he found _**his** _revelation." Nue said. The girls giggled, before Byakuren cleared her throat.

"What are everyone's thoughts?"

Minamitsu was the first to speak up.

"That's my personal nap day. But if you really want me to go, Hijiri, I guess I could nap after the fact..."

Byakuren nodded. Mamizō was the next to speak up.

"I think we should go, just for the fun of it. Maybe it won't be as bad as we're making it out to be." She shrugged.

"Agreed. Also, why not do a bit of investigating? Find out if there's something else they're up to?" Nazrin smirked. "I bet I could find out. I always end up having to find Master's pagoda; I bet I could get some info from someone, especially since the latter is easier than the former..."

"Uuu... Nazrin, you're not supposed to tell them stuff like that!" Shō frowned, but couldn't help but smile after the fact. "I can't stay mad at you."

"Then it's settled. Nazrin will be our eavesdropper, but the rest of us should be on the lookout for anything weird or off." Nue grinned. "Maybe I could play a prank or two~..."

"I can annoy them so much that they'll tear their hair out!"

"I can play a prank so sinister that they'll be forced to give in and tell us **everything**! Even what their leader uses to style her hair!"

"What? That's not even remotely related to the topic at hand!"

"Alright you two, settle down. We'll do no such thing." Byakuren calmly diverted their attention to herself. "We are simply going to do what was asked of us, and nothing more. Understood?"

"Yes, Hijiri." Nazrin sighed.

"You're not the boss of my body. I'll do what I want." Nue declared proudly, earning glares from everyone at the table but Byakuren herself. "...okay, maybe this time you are."

"Good. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior when we go there. Now, let's finish eating."

* * *

Wow, fast update time! I was really motivated to continue!

What do you think of the Myouren Temple crew? Hopefully I didn't butcher anyone (sorry if I did)

Dont forget to review! Help me to improve as best as I can!

-Author


	3. The Case of the Missing Coat

Wow, I have to say, I didn't expect to get another review so fast, especially with such detail! Thank you, SKOOLATOON!

Now, last where we left off...

* * *

"I think we've done enough here, too. Let's go return the cleaning supplies like we said we would and go home." Miko used her cape to fan herself.

The three Taoists decided to stay after a few hours to take everything off the walls and set them into the back room (because who knows? Maybe someone will come back to get them). Tojiko was the only one that wasn't exhausted from all the labor; in fact, she was so energetic that she wouldn't stop taking things off the wall (which included pieces of artwork that Miko wanted to keep).

"Art thou in a daze, Tojiko? The Crown Prince would like to keep that!" Futo restrained Tojiko while Miko took back the painting.

"Yes, so would you please refrain yourself from doing that again? I would like to leave." Miko placed the painting back on the wall.

"Alright, Alright~... now Futo, let go of me before you get a face full of-"

Futo immediately let go of Tojiko, panting from using all her reserved energy.

"I-I doth not need 'shocked' tonight, especially before we headeth out."

"Settle down, you two," Miko grunted while trying to pick up the mop bucket. "Urgh... I... can't lift it."

"Allow me, Crown Prince!" Tojiko easily picked up the bucket, making Futo roll her eyes.

"If thee can get the mop bucket, then I shall get the broom!"

 _These two are always at odds. Maybe something will change one day._ Miko grinned while watching the two of them fuss at eachother. "Come on, quit fooling around and let's go return the cleaning supplies."

"Yes, Crown Prince." The two said in unison.

"Are we forgetting anything?"

"Nay, I believe not. But what beith that on the table?" Futo picked the item up.

"Oh, Futo, that's Nigel's coat. Just leave it here and he can get it tomorrow." Miko said.

Futo sat Nigel's coat back down on the table.

"Okay, if there's no more interruptions, let's go."

After locking the front door, the three of them left. However, something (or someone) seemed to lurk in the bushes... but none of them noticed.

After they saw that the trio had left, the two perpetrators came out from hiding.

"Why did I even agree to come with you, Nue?"

"You want to find out, dont you, Nazrin? Now, let's get this door open..."

* * *

The trio arrived at the schoolhouse just a little ways away from the café. Keine Kamashirasawa was thankfully still there.

"Thank you for returning the cleaning supplies. I hope you got some use out of them."

"We did; they were a huge help. Thank you for letting us use them." Miko gestured for Tojiko and Futo to return the supplies. "So tell me, what exactly did Nigel say when he asked for them?"

"Nothing really special. He just said that you all needed supplies to clean up the vacant building you plan on using as a café. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen him that happy since he was in my class some years ago," Keine took the supplies from Tojiko and Futo. "After he was out of school, his father would always make him go with him to his meetings."

"Oh? What about his sister?"

"Kyō doesn't want her to have any business with the village council. She has more of a lackadaisical lifestyle than Nigel does because of that, not to mention a bunch more friends; she's even got a man in her life."

"I see." Miko thinks about what Keine said for a moment before she continues:

"You must have said something to him to envoke such a passion for working." Keine smiled. "I'm sure he won't let you down in that sense."

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, we should be heading back to the Masouleum now. Come, Tojiko. Futo."

As the trio walked out, Keine waved at them.

"Good luck! I hope your café is a success!"

* * *

Back at the café, Nue and Nazrin had somehow unlocked the front door and entered in.

"I feel bad for lying to Hijiri, but there's gotta be something that they're trying to accomplish." Nue tried to look around, but it was too dark. "Find the light switch, Nazrin."

"Okay, okay, jeez..." Nazrin felt around on the wall and found the light switch. She flipped it on, and everything suddenly lit up. "Nue, what are you doing?"

Nue had found a coat on the table and put it on. It didn't fit her at all; it was around two sizes too big.

"It's really cold in here, so I put on this coat I found."

"It's too big on you. You look ridiculous in it." Her partner-in-crime sighed. "There's nothing really special here. Let's go."

"Aw... but what if the hair products are-"

"They wouldn't be here, idiot. Put the coat back." Nazrin grumbled.

"They won't miss it. It's not even theirs." Nue hugged herself. "It's mine now, and don't even try to make me take it off!"

"Whatever. Here," She took one of the mice out of the basket on her tail and let it roam free along the floor. "This is our tiny spy, who will come back every night to report anything suspicious."

The tiny mouse stood up on its back legs and saluted Nazrin, who saluted back. Nue shuddered.

"That freaks me out, you know that, right?"

* * *

The next morning, the Taoists arrived to see the front door was unlocked.

But Nigel wasn't there. Did someone come in during the night?

"Who would do such a thing?" Tojiko looked around. "Nothing seems to be out of place..."

"Nay, but the lights are on." Futo examined the light switch.

"Where is Nigel's coat? Futo, didn't you leave it on that table?" Miko looked under the table.

"Aye, I did."

"Then whoever came in during the night took his coat with them."

"Good morning, Miko." The voice didn't belong to Nigel, but it was someone Miko wanted to see.

"Oh, Byakuren. Did the message relay to you?" Miko turned around to face the priestess.

"Yes, it did. I came to inform you that we will accept your invitation."

"Excellent! Although I'm afraid that we have been broke into last night," Miko sighed. "Someone or another had came during the night and took Nigel's coat that he left here."

"I have a bad feeling that I know who took his coat." Byakuren said.

"You do? What gave you that idea?"

"Nazrin came to the temple due to Shō's request for her presence... and boy, she looked exhausted. She said she couldn't sleep a wink last night." Byakuren crossed her arms. "Nue came out just a moment later, saying the exact opposite and looking like she just rolled out of bed."

"That just sounds like one couldn't sleep, and one couldn't stop sleeping." Miko said.

Tojiko was slowly approaching Byakuren.

"Well, if you say so..." Byakuren turned around and smiled at Tojiko, who gasped in astonishment. "Don't even try to spook me."

"O-Okay!"

"I will try to find out if one of them took Nigel's coat for you." Byakuren looked back at Miko. "I'll see you in a few days, or maybe later if I can find his coat."

"Goodbye, then!" The trio watched as Byakuren walked out.

"Well, that's great. Let's not try to worry about it too much," Miko paused. "I'm surprised that Nigel hasn't-"

"Good morning, girls," Nigel said. He came inside carrying a few boxes labeled 'silverware', and one labeled 'condiments'. "There's more boxes where that came from. I even went to the marketplace to place a special order."

"Let me examine thine silverware!" Futo took the boxes out of Nigel's hands and sat them on the table. She opened the box and took one of the forks out.

"Such intricate designs! Where did thee get silverware this beautiful?"

"I bought them from someone in-"

"Look at this one, Futo!" Tojiko held up a knife.

"Careful, it's very sharp-"

"Wow! I bet thee could penetrate anything with such a knife!" Futo and Tojiko were ecstatic about all the silverware.

"Yes, it could, so _please_ put it-"

Nigel was interrupted this time by a yell.

"OI! What beith thine reasoning for waving the knife around?!" Although Tojiko still had the knife, it was covered in blood.

"Tojiko, I think you accidentally stabbed Futo in the hand." Miko grabbed ahold of Futo's hand, but surprising, there wasn't any blood. Futo was still freaking out anyways.

Tojiko let out a maniacal laugh.

"You're so gullible, Futo! It's just ketchup." She pointed at the open box with all the condiments inside.

"Grr... I'm going to kill thee all over again!"

"Woah, let's not kill anyone today!" Nigel stood in between the two girls.

"Indeed. We have work to do," Miko hung up her cape on the newly-found coat hanger on the wall. "What sort of ideas do you have in mind, Nigel?"

"New paint for the walls, and maybe some... modern appliances? The kappa could supply us with some, couldn't they?"

"Now that you mention it, I did meet a certain blue-haired kappa during the religious conflict a while back. Remember that, Futo?" Miko turned to Futo, who nodded.

"I believe that we accomplished much during that period of time."

"Of course we did. Now, I believe that the kappa reside in the Genbu Ravine, except I have no clue where it is located." Miko blatantly stated.

"I think it's near Yōkai Mountain," Nigel thought. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Me and Futo will go to the ravine." Tojiko says.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Miko shakes her head.

"Give them a chance. Who knows? Maybe they won't knock eachothers brain out." Nigel smiled, but then a sudden realization hit him. "... where's my coat? I left it on the table yesterday..."

"...well, you see, someone may or may not have found a way in last night and taken your coat."

"Ugh... that coat is really special to me. How could someone just... just..." Nigel was almost crying, but he shook his head. "I've got to go find whoever took my coat."

"Byakuren hath visited earlier, saying she might know who the perpetrator beith..." Futo said."

Without letting anyone say anything else, Nigel stormed out of the building.

"There's no reason that we should halt progress," Miko sighed. "You two can go by yourselves, I suppose."

"Thanketh thee. Come, Tojiko! Let us make haste!"

"I'm already out the door!~"

 _Those two are a handful, but I love them to death,_ Miko smiled to herself, watching the two joke around.

 _Maybe they won't annoy eachother during their trip._

* * *

After a while, Nigel finally arrived at the Myouren Temple. Kyōko was sweeping the pathway, as usual.

"HELLO!" She yelled, making Nigel cringe. "I'm sorry!"

"It's... fine." Nigel gritted his teeth. "I need to talk to Byakuren."

"She sure has been getting a lot of visitors lately... OH! Don't mind me, I was talking to myself!" Kyōko bowed. "She's inside!"

"Alright, thank you." Nigel walked past the yamabiko and entered the temple. Unlike Miko's visit, Byakuren was present and sitting at a table with all of her followers. Shō was the first to notice him walk in.

"Oh, hello Nigel! I don't think any of us expected you to visit."

Everyone turned and looked his general direction.

"It is quite a surprise. What brings you here?" Byakuren asked.

"I'm here for my coat. I was told that you might know who took it."

Nazrin's face turned red at the mention of the coat. Shō elbowed her underling, and she tensed up.

"Are you alright, Nazrin? You're awfully stiff."

"I'm just fine, Master! Urk..."

"Nazrin, is there something you're not telling me?"

"No! Not in the slightest!" Nazrin began to panic, until she thought of an excuse. "Actually, there is."

She scooted closer to Shō and whispered in her ear: _Your pagoda is missing._

Sure enough, the pagoda was missing, causing Shō to stiffen up.

"Don't worry, I'll find it-"

"I don't think you're telling the truth, Nazrin." Byakuren smiled in a disturbing manner. "I suggest you fess up, hm?"

Not wanting any sort of punishment, Nazrin stood up straight and began to speak.

"Okay, okay! Me and Nue went to the café last night! Nue took the coat, and she wouldn't put it back. We thought that the Taoists just found it in the back room or something; we totally forgot about Nigel!" Nazrin bowed repeatedly. "I'm sorry!"

Byakuren look at the place where Nue was previously seated.

"Where did she go? She was just here..."

"I bet she went to hide somewhere..." Ichirin says.

"She's probably in her room," Minamitsu shrugs. "It's where I go when I want to get away from something."

"I'll go get it from her myself. It is my coat, after all." Nigel looks around. "So... which way?"

"Go to the left, then proceed to the second door on your right," Minamitsu gestures with her ladle, accidentally splashing water on the table. "My bad."

"Make sure to clean up your mess." Byakuren said.

"Yes, Hijiri."

"Okay. I'll go check in her room."

* * *

Just as Minamitsu had said, Nue was in her room.

Nigel slowly cracked the door open, earning a gasp from Nue.

"Who's there?! Hijiri, is that you?!"

"What in your right mind makes you think that I'm Byakuren?" As soon as Nue hears Nigel's voice, she tried to hide under her bed. "I know you're under the bed."

"Aw..." She crawled out from under the bed and stood up, holding the coat. "I had no idea this coat was yours, I swear!"

"I know. That's what Nazrin said," He approached Nue with no emotion on his face. "I'm not one to hold things against others. I know you might think that I'm being dumb for coming back for a coat, but that coat is really special to me."

"W-Why is it special?"

"My late grandmother gave it to me for my birthday. I was really close with her, and the coat is the only thing I have left to remember her."

Nue looked down at the coat she was holding. She remembered the word that Hijiri used to describe such an item.

 _"It's a memento. It reminds a person of something or someone special. I have a few mementos myself that remind me of my late brother."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes; in fact, this temple reminds me of Myouren. Given the name, that is." Byakuren giggled._

 _"Could someone like me... ever have such a thing?"_

 _"Yes, Nue. Anyone can have a memento; even a nue like you."_

The thought of it alone brought Nue to tears.

"Why are you crying? There's no reason to cry..." Nigel tried to reassure her, but it was no use.

"I-I was just thinking of what Hijiri told me a-a long time ago... this coat is a memento of the relationship... of the relationship b-between you and your grandmother."

"...yes, Nue. The coat is a memento of all the good times I had with my grandmother," Nigel said. "All the sadness and the pain goes away when I remember those times."

Nue used the coat to wipe the tears from under her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll give it bac-"

"No," Nigel smiled. "I have memories of my grandmother that I'll never forget. Ever."

"But this is-"

"-your coat, now. I want you to have it. You'll take better care of it than I would when I get older."

"...then what would this be a memento of... for me?" Nue asked, tears staining her eyes.

"Whatever you want it to be."

"Then... I want it to be a memento..." She began, but stopped.

"...yes?"

 _I want this coat to be a memory of how... how..._

 _Of how there is a human that is as nice to me as Hijiri is._

* * *

Wow.

I feel like I got way too sappy, but you know, I'm really glad I did. I actually made myself cry while writing the last part.

I promise next chapter won't have anything like that!

Please review! Help me to improve the best that I can!

-Author


	4. Worry Not, Friends!

Nothing sappy, as I promised! Enjoy!

* * *

Nigel walks out of Nue's room, where he meets the face of Minamitsu.

"Uh... you weren't watching, were you?"

"Only the last part," Minamitsu puts her arm around Nigel's neck. "Real smooth, Nigel."

"I wasn't trying to be 'smooth', I was being... NICE!" He slid out from the captain's grip. His face was red from embarrassment.

"Oh, I see... not used to a woman's touch, hm?~" Minamitsu grinned. "I guess we'll have to fix that!"

"NO! I mean, no, we don't need to fix my problem anytime soon!"

"That's totally fine with me," She shrugs. "I have better things to do than play matchmaker."

"I have better things to do than- WHY WOULD YOU PLAY MATCHMAKER!?"

The sudden burst from Nigel made the rest of the residents rise from the table and walk over.

"Nigel, why did you yell? Are you alright?" Byakuren was the first to speak up, putting a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.

"ACK! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Nigel back away from the girls. "S-Sorry, I'm just-"

"'-not used to feeling a woman's touch on my body.'" Minamitsu finished the statement.

"Is that true, Nigel?" Byakuren looked a bit concerned.

"Uh..." Nigel backed up a bit more.

"Why don't we sit down and talk about your problems?" Nazrin walked a little closer to him.

"N-Not today. Some other day." Nigel was sweating profusely at this point.

"Oh? How about tonight, huh?"" She asked.

"I have to help them paint," Nigel shook his head. "I-I can't just leave them."

"Then come after you're done working." Byakuren says.

"Oh, uh..." He looked at Minamitsu, who had an expression on her face that said ' _Guess you can't get out of it. Heh'._

"If that's too much trouble, then I can come get you after-"

"NO! I'll come myself!"

"Great!" Byakuren smiled. "Don't worry, it won't be _just_ us."

"Well, I'm leaving, bye!" Nigel practically sprinted out the temple.

 _Man, what's gotten into them?!_

"See, now wasn't that funny?" Minamitsu chuckled.

"I thought that was pretty mean," Ichirin said. "That's why I didn't say anything."

"Well, obviously he's got a problem, and if we solve that problem, maybe he'll want to stop working for the Taoists and he can come work for us!" Nazrin said proudly

"We don't own a café, Nazrin." Shō looked over towards her mouse counterpart.

"Oh yeah... I forgot."

"We should help him because we care enough to do so, not so we can convince him to quit something he enjoys."

"Fiiinnee... we'll do it out of the kindness of our hearts."

"Do what out of the kindness of our hearts?" Nue emerged out of her room.

"Look who decided to come out." Mamizō ruffles her friends' hair. "You look like a mess."

"I-I do not!"

"We're going to help Nigel with his girl problem," Minamitsu grinned. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"I don't really care, because I'm not helping. I have better things to do." Nue rolled her eyes.

"Aw, come on, Nue!" Mamizō nudges her with her elbow playfully. "It'll be fun."

"No, no, and no. There's no way you'll get me to-"

"Say, why are you wearing Nigel's coat? I thought he took it back?" Byakuren asked.

"Well... he let me have it."

"Oh? Tell us the _whole_ story."

"Why should I? It's a personal matter between me and him!"

"Then you will help Nigel."

"Fine, I'll 'help' Nigel."

* * *

Nigel sprinted all the way back to the café

When he walked in, he saw Miko was painting the walls.

"Welcome back, Nigel. Did you manage to find your coat?"

"Yeah... "

"That's good," She turned around. "But where is it? Don't tell me you forgot it."

"I let Nue keep it. Don't ask why."

"Then I won't press on the issue any longer. Come grab a brush and help me paint."

Nigel did as he was told and started painting on a different wall.

"Purple and gold?" He asked.

"Yes. My two favorite colors."

"Good choice. They really compliment eachother," Nigel smiled. "You wear those colors every day, don't you?"

"Are you trying to imply something, Nigel?" Miko got more paint on her paintbrush.

"No. I'm just saying that those colors compliment you and your personality."

"I see. Nobody's ever told me that before, not even Futo or Tojiko."

"I'm shocked that they haven't said anything to you about it."

"Why's that shock you?"

"Because they look good on you."

 _...what?_

The sound of a paintbrush dropping echoed throughout the room.

She turned around to see Nigel right in front of her.

"I'm... gonna go get some silver paint. For the middle border."

"Oka-" Before she could finish her statement, he was already out the door.

 _That was weird... why did he just leave all of a sudden?_

* * *

"Slow thyself, Tojiko! I cannot go as fast as thee!"

Futo and Tojiko have been flying and floating (respectively) towards Yōkai Mountain since the break of dawn. The mission? Ask a certain blue-haired kappa to supply them with modern appliances for the café.

Futo has been keeping her distance from her companion, Tojiko, due to her prankster nature.

"We're almost there, quit complaining!"

"Grr..."

"Look, there's some kappa down there!" Tojiko points down to the summit of the mountain, where there was a group of kappa gathered together to watch the unveiling of a new invention.

"Don't dawdle! Let us decend and converse with them!"

The two gently landed a few yards away from the kappa.

"Welcome, fellow kappa, to the unveiling of my new invention!" A kappa with blue hair styled into pigtails on the side of her head and a green cap was standing on top of said invention (which was covered by a white cloth), grinning ear to ear.

The group of kappa applauded and talled amongst themselves for a moment.

"I wonder what it is this time?"

"It doesn't matter, Nitori's inventions are always great!"

"Yeah, you're right..."

"Let's not bother them right now; we might spook the living daylights out of them." Tojiko lead Futo to a nearby bush, where they ducked down.

"Now, you're probably wondering what I made this time," Nitori said. "Well, without further ado, I'll just show you!"

She grabbed at the cloth and jumped off, pulling it with her.

Under the cloth was a robot of sorts, which wasn't too uncommon for the kappa to see.

"Yes, yes, it's a robot. Nothing special about it, huh? Well, unlike most robots, I have installed many safety measures to make sure that nothing will malfunction. Some special features include a huge water gun built into the right arm, jet boots installed on the feet, rocket launchers on the shoulders... there's no limit to what you can do with this robot, or as I like to call it, the _Giant X!_ "

Everyone clapped, including Tojiko and Futo, which made the kappa jump.

"Someone else is here!"

The kappa began to scatter, except Nitori, who stayed with her robot.

"Alright, come out, whoever you are!"

Tojiko and Futo popped out from behind the bush.

"E-Eh? Aren't you that one Taoist's follower? And your friend, too?" Nitori inquired.

"Aye. Futo of the Mononobe, miss kappa. We hath been sent by the Crown Prince Toyosatomimi no Miko to inquire about a few... modern technologies."

"Oh. Ahem." Nitori straightened up. "What kind of modern technologies?"

"Kitchen appliances, I think," Tojiko said. "Have any?"

"...and perhaps I don't?"

"Well, the Crown Prince would greatly appreciate if you could-"

"Woah, relax. I have some." Nitori put her hands up.

"Well, we might need you to install them, too... we're not as technologically advanced as you are." Tojiko scratched the back of her head.

"That'll cost you extra, but sure. When'dya need me to come by?"

"Today?"

"Uh... I can try. I have to put _Giant X_ back in the garage, if you know what I mean."

"Just use your robot the carry the appliances over to the café."

"Café? Since when did you Taoists own a café?" Nitori put her finger on her lips. "Well, whatever. Good idea, I'll follow you guys back."

"Great! Now, hurry!" Tojiko shooed Nitori.

"Ugh, bossy..."

* * *

"Thank you, come again!" The stand owner waved at Nigel.

Nigel went to the marketplace to buy paint, but he also needed to clear his thoughts. What ended up a small trip ended up being a huge one.

He'd walked through the entire marketplace, examining the items being sold at each stand. He waited to buy the paint last, giving him a good excuse to tell Miko that he 'got lost through the stands'.

Exhausted from the extended walk, he sat down on a nearby bench, where a girl was already sitting. He put the paint can in between them.

They sat together in silence for a while before the girl spoke up.

"Somethin' on your mind too, ze?"

"How'd you know?"

"Ya got one've those expressions that just spells it out."

The girl in question was none other than the black-white witch, Marisa Kirisame.

"I do?" Nigel points at his face.

"Yep. Of course, Reimu always has those kinds of looks on her face, so I'm used to it, da ze." She smirked. "What's on your mind, man?"

"I've been acting really out of sorts today. Well, others have been acting weird towards me, too." He starts out. "I've said things today that I never thought I'd ever say."

"Uh-huh. And?"

"Am I really that oblivious to how others might feel about me?"

"Not really, ze. Reimu and me got a love-hate relationship. You can never tell with her," Marisa says. "Some days she's chill, and other times she wants'ta get onto ya for everything."

"Wait, you're that witch, aren't you?" Nigel examined Marisa, who still had her broom in her hand.

"Sure am! The name's Marisa Kirisame! I'm nothin' special, just an _Ordinary Magician_ , da ze!" She stood up and posed, making a peace sign with her left hand and holding her broom in her right.

"Well, now isn't that special," Nigel grabbed the paint can and stood up. "I'd best be heading back. Wouldn't want to make anyone mad."

"Sure, I got places to go, too! Maybe I'll see ya some other time, uh..."

"Nigel."

"Yeah, Nigel! See ya next time!" Marisa took off on her broom.

Nigel started walking back to the café.

It was about dinnertime now, and everyone was heading back home, including Kyō.

"Hello, son. I'm surprised to see you out and about this late."

"I have work now," Nigel says.

"How do you like working for _Toyotasatomimi_ no Miko?"

" _Toyosatomimi_ , Father. And I'm really enjoying it."

"That's good to hear..." Kyō fakes a smile. "Nice talking to you, I have another meeting to attend before the night is over."

"Oh, okay... goodbye." Nigel waves as his father walks away.

 _Just once, I want to have more than a ten-sentence conversation with him that doesn't involve work._

 _If only..._

* * *

"So this is the café, huh?" Nitori, Tojiko, and Futo arrived at the café. "Pretty neat, if I do say so myself."

"Crown Prince, we have returned with Nitori!" Futo proclaimed.

"Oh, welcome back, you two. And hello, Nitori." Miko sat her paintbrush down.

"I thought that Nigel would be back by now?" Tojiko looked throughout the room.

"He hasn't come back yet. I wonder what's taking him so long?"

"Sorry, I'm finally back!" Nigel came rushing in, accidentally bumping into Nitori. "I'm s- AAAH!"

"AAAH!" Nitori turned around to look at Nigel. "You didn't tell me there was a gonna be a human here!" She jumped away from Nigel.

"I didn't know that she was COMING here!" Nigel pointed at Nitori.

"That's not very nice!" Nitori pointed back at Nigel.

"Okay you two, stop it!" Miko stood in between Nigel and Nitori. "Nigel, she's only here to install the appliances, and then she'll be gone."

She took the paint from Nigel's hand.

"And what took you so long? I thought you got mugged or something of the sort!"

"I couldn't find the stand with the paint, okay?"

"Well, alright." Miko sighed.

"Quite the worrier, aren't ya, Miko?" Nitori walked away and had already begun to install the appliances.

"I'm just concerned about my employee, is all," She sat down the can of paint and dipped a clean paintbrush down in it. "The walls aren't going to finish themselves; come help me, you three."

Futo, Tojiko, and Nigel obeyed and helped paint the middle border on the walls.

"Alright. I'm done." Nitori got up from her crouching position. "The payment, please."

Miko handed Nitori the payment, who eagerly took the money.

"Thank you!~"

She walked over to Nigel and bopped him over the head with her wrench.

"That's for pointing at me."

"Gee, thanks." Nigel rubbed the top of his head.

"Come by if you need anything fixed," Nitori said. "Or if you wanna look at my inventions."

"...sure?" Nigel was a bit confused, but he went along with it.

"See ya guys!" Nitori waved on her way out.

"One step closer!" Miko was filled to the brim with excitement. "Say, don't we need tables and chairs?"

"We would," Nigel says. "if I didn't already special order them this morning."

"Well aren't you the busybody!"

"I'm going to go get them first thing in the morning."

"How many is there?"

"...ten tables, fourty chairs."

"That's quite a lot, don't you agree?" Miko examined the room. "Especially with this space..."

"It'll work, trust me." He smiles.

"If you say so... well, we can come help you tomorrow morning, if you need it."

"No need. The stand owner has workers suited to carry multiple items at a time. Plus, I'll be helping them, too."

"Alright."

"I'll be leaving, then. I have somewhere to go." Nigel sat his brush on top of a paint can.

"Oh? Where mayest thee be traveling to?" Futo tilts her head.

"The Myouren Temple...?"

"Eh?"

"They're gonna 'help me with my problems'. At least, that's what they told me."

"We could help you with your problems too, Nigel," Tojiko says. "It's not like we're complete strangers."

"Maybe tomorrow? I kind of don't want to get, let's see... attacked by mice; yelled at by someone at the top of their lungs; beaten up by a nyuudou; hit by an anchor or worse, end up getting drown; run over by a motorcycle; stabbed by a trident; or getting thwacked by a huge tail."

"I think you're missing someone."

"I honestly have no idea what Shō would do to me," He shrugs. "Well, until tomorrow."

Nigel's exits the café.

"...well, Futo, Tojiko, let's take our leave as well."

"Yes, Crown Prince."

As the trio exit the café as well, a certain tiny spy came out from hiding.

The mouse quickly ran out before it was locked in.

It was time to report back to Nazrin.

* * *

"Hello, my little friend," Nazrin picked up the mouse. "Find out anything interesting?"

The mouse shook its head, but did whisper something in Nazrin's ear.

"Oh, so he's on his way to the temple? That's good. Wait... he made up a list of things that could possibly happen to him if he _didn't_ come? He must have a lot of free time."

Nazrin and the mouse giggled to themselves until they heard a knock at the door.

"Nazrin?" Shō was the one knocking on the front door.

"Coming," Nazrin got up, mouse still in hand, and opened the door. "Hey, Master. Is Nigel at the temple yet?"

"No, not yet. But I'd like for you to come back to the temple with me and have dinner with me and everyone else."

"Uuu... fine," Nazrin put the mouse on the floor. "Run along."

The mouse scurried along the ground back in the direction of the café.

"What's the little spy for?" Shō asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, nothing. Say, Master can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask me anything."

"...if Nigel didn't come, what would you do?"

"What would I do? What do you mean by that?"

"Like... would you punish him for it?"

"No, I wouldn't," Shō shook her head. "It's his choice whether he wants help or not. Besides, I'm not very close with him, and my scolding wouldn't really matter to him, now would it?"

"I guess not..." Nazrin thought about what Shō said. "I... guess I wouldn't do anything, either."

"That's a reasonable conclusion, Nazrin. Now, let's get to the temple before he beats us there!"

 _Boy, Master's the best._

* * *

(Cough)

So, Nigel has a girl problem?...

I want Nigel to be a bit different than the MCs that I read about all the time.

Instead of him being a cliché MC that's after the girls (like quite a few MC from some fanfics I know of), he doesn't really know anything at all about the lovey-dovey side of them (and that's why he freaks out when a girl touches him). That's why we've rolled in some help...

Who better to fix his problem then the Myouren Temple crew? (laughter ensues)... ha? Well...

What do you think about a prospective 'love interest' for Nigel? Who would you want it to be? I'm really torn between every single one of the Taoists and the Buddhists on this one, cause I love every single one of them!

And man, the café's just about done. Can't wait to write about that...

(I hope I didn't butcher Marisa or Nitori's personality or way of speaking.)

Please review! Point out the good and the bad points so that I can improve from it! Thanks!

-Author


	5. Our Love Cannot Compare

Haha, it's been a whole two days! Did anyone get antsy?... only me? Okay!

I haven't gotten enough responses as to any potential pairing with Nigel. I'd like to be sure I'm making the right choice, yeah?

So, enjoy!

* * *

Nigel was back at the Myouren Temple, like he told everyone earlier. Kyōko had just finished sweeping the pathway, so she was more than happy to see him.

"WELCOME BACK to the temple, Nigel!~" Kyōko chimed. "Guess WHAT? I don't have to sweep anymore today, so I get to-"

A breeze lifted a few leaves off a nearby tree and placed them precisely on the pathway.

"Spoke too soon, huh?" Nigel laughed.

"AW, DARN IT!" Kyōko fumed for a second, then went back to her cheery self. "It's okay, just a few more leaves..."

"Have fun." Nigel walked past the yamabiko, who was diligently finishing her duty cleaning the pathway, despite her hidden anger.

Well, hidden until Nigel got far enough away for her to shout at the top of her lungs. Good thing she made a barrier beforehand...

 _Man, why am I so nervous? It's just an evening with the girls so we can talk about my problems... right?_

He took his first step inside, and already the smell was enticing him. Unfortunately, he knew that Byakuren and her followers were vegetarian, per their religion. So why does he smell meat?

"Hello, Nigel," Ichirin was already seated at the table, Unzan by her side. "I hope you have an empty stomach; I've prepared quite a lot of food for tonight's _special_ occasion."

"I never knew you did the cooking..." Nigel said. "Where do I...?

"Oh, you can sit anywhere you'd like, given that you're our guest. Hijiri should be coming in a moment."

Nigel plopped down on the other side of the table, across from Ichirin.

"So, what did you cook for dinner?"

"Usually we eat a mixture of steamed vegetables and rice, but I did make sure to cook some meat for you," Ichirin smiled. "Unzan had to remind me, or else I would've forgotten."

"That's very thoughtful of him," Nigel looked over at the nyuudou, who nodded in response to the praise. "Where's everyone else?"

"Hijiri is currently cleaning herself up, Shō went to get Nazrin, Minamitsu went with Mamizō and Nue to get some drinks, and Kyōko must not be finished sweeping."

"YES I AM!" Kyōko yelled from the other side of the room.

"What did Hijiri tell you about yelling in the temple?" Ichirin scolded Kyōko.

"SORRY! I mean, sorry." Kyōko took a seat beside Ichirin. "Boy, everyone's taking an awfully long time to get back."

"I suppose they are." Ichirin looked at Nigel. "Would you like to play a game?"

"Uh... what kind of game?" Nigel asked.

"I ask a question, and everyone has to answer. The person to my left would ask the next question, and so forth."

"Okay, I'm game. Kyōko, are you playing?"

"Sure am!" She beamed. "I've got the greatest questions, just you wait!"

"Don't tell me you're playing THAT game, you guys." Nigel watched Nazrin enter, who was followed in by Shō.

"Are we playing Questions?" Shō looked at Ichirin, who nodded. "Well, I guess I'll play."

"Master, no! You know how this game always ends!" Nazrin turned around and glared at Shō.

"Quit being rude, Nazrin. You don't have to play," Shō stepped around Nazrin and made her way around the table to sit by Nigel. "Let's start."

Nigel looks to his right, where Shō is smiling at him. _Urk..._

"You can't start without me, guys!~"

Byakuren came walking through the hallway from her room. Instead of her hair down like it usually is, she decided to style it into a neat bun atop her head.

"Look who decided to come out! I thought you were going to change clothes, Hijiri?" Ichirin slid over towards Kyōko to make room for Byakuren, who sat by her friend. Unzan showed little emotion as he was forced to hover behind Ichirin instead of beside her.

"I changed my mind. I couldn't help hearing our guest arrive so early, so I decided just to put my hair up." Byakuren glanced around the table. "Minamitsu and the others aren't back yet?"

"No, not yet!" Kyōko said. "If they don't get back soon, the foods' gonna get mushy and nasty!"

"Lower your voice a bit, Kyōko."

"S-Sorry... _I'll just be quiet_." She slumped down.

"Let's start the game. My question; your favorite color?" Ichirin thinks for a moment, and says: "I'd have to say my favorite color is a cerulean blue."

" _I like lilac..._ " Kyōko whispers.

"Royal red," Shō looks towards Nigel. "What about you, Nigel?"

Nigel shifts uncomfortably at the attention.

"I... like emerald green." Nigel diverted his attention from Shō (as if he would forget she was there).

"I prefer any color." Byakuren says.

"Unzan says that his favorite color is salmon."

"OKAY, MY TURN!" Kyōko couldn't stay quiet for long. "What's your favorite drink. I like water!"

"...um, I'd prefer not to say." Shō looks away.

"Hey, you have to! That's part of the game!" Nazrin, who was but a bystander standing above Shō, has decided to speak up.

"Fine... my favorite drink is..." In a voice that was inaudible to all but the two sitting closest to her, Shō spoke.

Nigel nearly choked on his on saliva if it wasn't for Nazrin hitting him in the back.

Hard.

"WHY'D YOU DO THAT FOR!?" Nigel could barely recover from the impact. He continued to wheeze on his saliva.

"Oh, Nazrin, that wasn't necessary!" Shō gently rubbed Nigel's back to calm his nerves. "Is that better?"

"Ugh... I feel like I'm dy- what are you doing?" Nigel squints his eyes. "It feels like heaven, whatever it is."

"I'm rubbing your ba-"

"AAAH!" Nigel immediately jumped up from his seat, knocking Nazrin off her feet.

"Why you little!-"

"Hey, we're back!" Minamitsu waved around bags filled with drinks. "Nue and Mamizō's got the rest."

"Where are they?" Byakuren turned her head to look back.

"They... took a detour to go look at the dragon statue." Minamitsu said the last line very fast.

"Well, let's hope that we have enough drinks."

Minamitsu sets the drinks on the table and walks around to Nigel.

"Yo, Nigel! I thought you would've bailed on us! Glad you came." She looks down at Nazrin, and then back at Nigel. "Hey, Nigel, I have an idea."

"Uh, wha-"

Minamitsu pushes on Nigel's head and forces him to sit down.

"I'm gonna sit right. Beside. You.~" She sits as close as possible to Nigel without touching him.

"Oh, that's just lovely." He grunts.

"Alright, let's eat!" Minamitsu leans over the table towards the covered bowls of food.

"We can't eat yet. Nue and Mamizō aren't here yet." Byakuren says.

"Yes we are! What, are we invisible?" Nue was seated on one end of the table, with Mamizō sitting on the other end.

"Oh, so you are here!" Byakuren looked shocked. "You should've said something earlier!"

"Hehe, sorry... well, let's dig in!"

Everyone except for Nigel (who didn't want to risk touching any of the girls) uncovered one of the dishes laid in front of them.

"Smells extra good today!" Shō remarked.

"Say, you fixed some meat for Nigel, didn't you, Ichirin?" Minamitsu smirked, catching the nyuudou user off-guard.

"Yes, I did-"

"You've never been so meticulous like that before! Usually you just made the guests eat what we all had to eat!"

"Um... that is..." Ichirin blushed a little. "I-It wouldn't be proper to subject him to our beliefs when he doesn't-"

"Now you're talking all weird." Minamitsu pointed her ladle at Ichirin. "Don't even try tell me that it was all Unzan's idea!"

"Quit questioning her to death, Minamitsu." Byakuren pushes the ladle away from Ichirin's face.

"S-Sorry, Hijiri." Minamitsu put her ladle down beside her.

"Now, without further ado..."

 **LET'S EAT!**

* * *

"Oh man, I'm stuffed."

"I think I ate too much..."

"Everyone pigged in so much that I didn't even get to eat a whole lot!"

Nigel sat quietly as he listened to the girls bicker to themselves.

"H-How was the food, Nigel?" Ichirin continued to stay uncomfortable after Minamitsu interrogated her.

"It was really good, thanks for fixing it."

"It's no problem at all..."

"Okay, so let's move on to the _real_ reason we're here," Byakuren stood up. "In order to conquer your uncontrollable fear of... women, you're going to have to get used to them. Especially since your boss and your coworkers are girls. You don't want to freak out in front of them, do you?"

"No? I mean, no, I don't." Nigel also stood up so he could look at Byakuren face-to-face.

"We won't start out with any interactions that involve touching eachother _yet_ ," she continues, "so we'll start out by talking. I want you to say something you like about everyone sitting at this table, including me."

Byakuren sits back down.

"So, like an honest confession about the good points in everyone?" Nigel looks at everyone sitting down.

"Exactly. You can start with Shō or Minamitsu, given that they're the closest to you."

"I guess I'll start with you then, Shō."

 _What do I like about her? Uh... I can't say something really cliché, so..._

"Shō, I really like your personality. You're really kind to everyone you meet. Your bouts of forgetfulness are somewhat of a highlight for your personality in general."

"That's very nice of you to say." Shō smiles.

"I'm next," Nazrin says. "Don't bore me."

 _Nazrin is a bit on the mischievous side... how about..._

"Nazrin, I like how you can command an army of mice to do your bidding... even the more mischievous things. For all I know, you could have a mouse in every house in the Human Village."

"Pfft... _mouse_ in every _house_... okay, it wasn't that boring." Nazrin snickered.

Mamizō doesn't say anything, but smiles.

 _Urk... I don't really talk with her a whole lot. But from what I can gather..._

"Mamizō, you're one of the most knowledgeable residents of Gensokyo, at least from the ones I've met. There's also a very mature vibe about you..."

"Why, thank you."

"I'm next, Nigel!" Kyōko's tail wagged in excitement.

 _Oh, Kyōko... so innocent about certain things in this world... but!_

"Kyōko, you have such a positive outlook on your duty. Instead of complaining about sweeping every day, you make it into some sort of... game? Your optimism is extremely infectious."

"It is?" Kyōko's ears twitched.

"Very." Nigel smiled.

"I DIDNT KNOW I HAD THAT EFFECT ON OTHERS!" Her tail began to wag again.

"Y-Yes, you do..." He gritted his teeth.

"O-Oh, sorry!"

"Looks like I'm next in line." Ichirin says.

 _Hmm... what can I say about Ichirin?_

"Ichirin, you have so many talents that I probably couldn't name them all! Cooking, having control over Unzan... there's probably more that I don't know about. What I'm trying to say is, you're a very talented individual."

Ichirin blushed.

"T-Thank you, Nigel."

"Do I have to say something nice about Unzan?" Nigel looked at the nyuudou, who was glaring at him.

Ichirin shook her head. Noticing Unzan's behavior, Ichirin sighed.

"Unzan, quit glaring at Nigel. He didn't say anything mean to you."

Unzan huffed and looked away from Nigel.

"I'm sorry, he's just upset at you for some reason. He's normally never like this."

"Well, Unzan aside, it's my turn, Nigel." Byakuren rested her chin on her hand.

 _I don't even have to think twice about what I want to say about Byakuren!_

"Byakuren, you act so kind compassionate towards others. You took a few of the others in this room in when nobody else would. You're like a mother figure to them."

"Well, aren't you just a charmer," Byakuren smiles. "That's very observant."

"...thanks?"

"You better have something **extra** special for me!" Nue smirked.

 _Nue is a teaser... but that's not a good thing! Hm..._

"Nue, I like how you take life easy. You don't take many things seriously, which sometimes may be a bad thing, but in the long run, you make it work. I wish I could be that lazy..."

"Meh, I am really lazy, huh?" Nue yawns. "Yep."

"I'm the last one, Nigel! Ya better make it a good one!" Minamitsu grinned, staring Nigel in the eyes

 _Almost over, thank goodness... but what should I say?_

"Uh... Minamitsu, I..." _Man, why is this so hard for me?_

"Hm?" She perked up a bit.

 _Ugh... wait... I think I got it!_

"Minamitsu, I... I like how you're not afraid of what others think of you. That's something that I really struggle with sometimes. Not being self-conscious would be like a blessing to me."

Nigel sat back down, tuckered out from thinking too hard.

"Aw, Nigel, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Minamitsu put an arm around Nigel's neck, but unlike last time, he didn't freak out.

"I believe a _flag_ has been raised!" Nazrin chuckled.

"Hoist the _anchor_! This _ship_ is setting _sail_!" Nue laughed.

"This _ship_ is _on course_ for-"

"Ack! S-Shut up, you two!" Minamitsu moved her arm away from Nigel.

"The _captain_ is _overboard_! I repeat, the _captain_ is _overboard_! Someone save her!" Nue was laughing so hard that she began to cough.

"Don't worry, I'll _rescue_ her!" Nazrin piled on top of Minamitsu. "I've got her, mate!"

Minamitsu was blushing profusely at this point.

"I'll -cough- _lower_ the _anchor_ -cough- so that you can get up!" Nue got herself up and attempted to pick up Minamitsu's anchor. "It's _stuck_! What do I do now?"

"I suggest you two stop before you get what's coming for you," Shō said. "Nazrin, off."

"Aye, matey, I be dead now..." Nazrin slid down Minamitsu's back with her arms still hugging the poor sailor, which inadvertently lead to a little incident...

Nazrin stayed in that certain place for a moment until Minamitsu realized where the mouse was touching.

"EEEK! N-Nazrin! Don't touch there!" Minamitsu smacked Nazrin's hands off and covered her chest with her arms.

Nigel put his head on the table.

"I swear I didn't look, I swear I didn't look..."

"Okay, I think we're done here..." Byakuren gets up. "You're welcome to stay overnight, Nigel."

"I'm retiring for the night as well," Mamizō stretches. "Very amusing tonight, Nue."

"Why thank y-"

Nue earns a hit on the head from Minamitsu's anchor, which knocks her unconscious.

"Well, she deserved it!" Minamitsu stood up, anchor still in hand.

Shō giggles a bit before turning around to face Nigel.

" _Nigel_ ," Shō whispers, " _Come to my room tonight_."

Nigel's eyes widened a substantial amount.

" _Relax, it's nothing like that. Just a night drink, is all."_

Nigel nods.

"Well, good night all!" Byakuren and Mamizō both went to their rooms.

"I'll be heading back home then, Master." Nazrin scurries off before Minamitsu could even lay a hand on her.

"I'll be retiring to bed, too," Minamitsu says. "Plus, I've gotta drag this _lug_ to her room."

"Alright, good night!" Ichirin watched Minamitsu use her free hand to drag Nue to her room.

"Coming with us, Ichirin?" Shō asked.

"Another night drink? That's the second time this week, Shō! _What would Hijiri say?_ "

"Well she doesn't have to know. Nigel will be joining me as well, so it's not like I'd be the _only_ culprit if she finds out."

"Well... alright. I suppose I can drink a little." Ichirin sighs.

"Well, come on."

* * *

The three of them got up and snuck all the way down the hallway to Shō's room. Opening the door, they tiptoed their way in the room.

Shō's room was decorated with an elegant rug in the middle with a few chairs around it; the rest of the room was like a plain bedroom.

Shō closed the door behind them.

"We won't bother ourselves with the chairs." Shō took a seat on the floor. Ichirin and Nigel followed suit.

"It looks like they brought the saké safe and sound..." Ichirin took the bottles of sake out of the paper sack.

A knock at the door spooked Nigel, so he took the saké bottles from Ichirin and stuffed them up his shirt. They clanged together, making a loud noise.

"Shh! It's just us." Mamizō and Minamitsu opened the door.

"I thought you weren't coming?" Shō tilted her head.

"Changed my mind," Mamizō sat down beside Shō. "Wouldn't want to disappoint our guest."

"Y-Yeah." Minamitsu sat down beside Nigel, who didn't seem to mind this time. "Whatcha got under your shirt?"

"The saké." Nigel reaches under his shirt and produces the bottles of saké.

He hands the bottles to Shō, who opens one of them. She begins to pour it into little saké dishes and one by one everyone takes a full dish.

Except for Nigel, of course.

"Don't tell me you haven't drank before, Nigel!" Shō was already on her second dish of saké.

"...maybe?"

"Here," Shō moves close to Nigel and puts her dish to his lips. "It's no so bad after the first drink."

Nigel took a sip from the dish. He choked a bit at first, but soon got used to the taste and drank the rest of the dish.

Shō took the dish back and attempted to take a drink, but all she got was one measly drop.

"Wow, you drank all of it!" Shō filled up her dish again. "There's a dish for you on the-"

Instead of grabbing the dish, he grabbed the bottle and started to chug.

"Nigel, no! That's bad!" Shō took the bottle from Nigel. "You'll get a major hangover!"

"No I won't..."

"You're forbidden to take another drin-"

Nigel tried to take the bottle from Shō.

"Hey, let go! I totally forgot that humans have a lower alcohol tolerance than yōkai!" Shō jerked the bottle away from Nigel, making him hit his head on the floor. "That didn't sound good..."

"It's just a minor concussion, I think..." Nigel lifts his head up and rubs it. "It did knock some sense into me though, so thanks."

"It did? I mean, you're welcome."

"Haha, you know what I just realized?" Mamizō takes a drink.

"What?" Ichirin poured more saké into her dish.

"Nigel and Shō indirectly kissed! Hahaha!~"

"Ugh! Very funny..." Shō fills her dish back up as well and drinks it down. "I-I don't really care. It's not like it was real."

"If you coils see how red your face is, you would think it was real!" Minamitsu elbowed Nigel. "Like I said before, real _smoooooth_..."

"Sigh..."

And so the five of them spent a few more hours together, filled with even more shenanigans. Nobody got too drunk... most of them thought. Ichirin and Mamizō had already went back to their rooms.

Minamitsu was a whole other story.

"Uh... are you okay?" Nigel was the only one (mostly) sober, so he at least knew what Minamitsu was saying wasn't normal.

" _Noooo_... I need to go _hoooome_..." Minamitsu was lying down on the floor.

"Home? Uh... I can take you back to your room?"

" _Hoooome_..."

Nigel picked the girl up with all of his might.

It didn't matter if they were of the opposite gender; they didn't do anything together. It shouldn't matter that he's carrying her bridal-style...

 _...Right?_

"I'd say that we've remedied you, Nigel." Nigel turned around to look at Shō, who was smiling.

"I thought you were drunk?"

"Did you really think that I'd drink enough to get drunk? I have a very high alcohol tolerance. However, I think Minamitsu went _overboard_..."

"Over... Shō, no!"

The two of them laughed to themselves before Shō spoke up.

"She'll be a pain in the morning. Ichirin and Mamizō will just sleep it off."

"I'm notta pain... _yer_ a pain!" Minamitsu drunkedly lashed out at Shō.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"I had fun tonight, Shō." Nigel smiled. "I got to know everyone a bit better."

"I got to know you a bit better, too."

The two of them looked at eachother for a moment, both blushing from ear to ear. Was it the alcohol? Who knows.

"...well, I'm going to take her back to her room.," Nigel turned back around. "Good night, Shō."

"Good night, Nigel."

Nigel quietly stepped out of the room, Minamitsu in tow.

Shō got up from her spot on the rug and picked up the empty saké bottles. She disposed of them under her bed, and decided to wait until morning to throw them out for good.

She sat down on the side of her bed and began to think.

 _There's a lot that I need to reflect on tonight..._ Shō thought. _Why did I act the way that I did? I wasn't drunk... I knew what I was doing. What was the meaning behind my actions? Was it just being friendly? Or... was it..._

Shō shook her head. _It couldn't be... or was it?_

 _Do I like him more than I think I do? More than friends?_

 _...was it **love**?_

Shō closed her eyes for a moment. Instead of thinking about it any longer, she decided just to curl up on her bed.

...but the thought of being in love lingered in her head, so that all she could dream about was her feelings for that human boy named Nigel Briar.

* * *

(Awaits incoming bullets)

Wow! I just went along with what my mind told me to write, and look where it got me!

THIS DOES NOT MEAN IM PAIRING HIM WITH SHŌ, I SWEAR-

Please give me your feedback on the pairing situation! It's getting to that point where I really gotta decide!

Don't forget to review as normal, too! Help me to fix any issues, and tell me what you think of my story! Thanks!

-Author


	6. Don't Lose Your Head

Welcome back to our wonderful story...

In response to a few reviews that I have received:

-I am planning on having something like what I did last chapter with the Taoists in the near future. Like, very near future.

-You would think that he'd act mad and everything, but he's honestly not a very angry person. He was more embarrassed than anything... THEY think that his problem was solved, but it was only ameliorated for the time being. He's gonna be a tough cookie...

Without further ado...

Let's continue!

* * *

"Where's Nigel?"

Byakuren and Ichirin had looked all over the temple for him (since they were the only two awake), but alas, he was nowhere to be found.

"Have you ever thought to look _under_ the table?" Ichirin bent down to look, and found a note stuck to the bottom. "There's a note here."

"Go ahead and read it." Byakuren said.

" _I'm sorry I had to leave. I have to pick up some chairs and tables for the café really early in the morning. Please don't be mad at me. Signed, Nigel._ "

"Well, I guess that's fine. As long as he's not lying..."

"Why would he lie about something like that, Hijiri? Opening day is tomorrow, after all." Ichirin handed Byakuren the note.

"...I guess so. I hope that we helped him with his problem."

"Believe me, we did... at least for the time being." Ichirin sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Byakuren asked.

"It's nothing. Just a hunch."

 _A hunch made from my own observations._

* * *

Instead of taking Byakuren up on her offer, Nigel decided to just go home. He didn't want to be late to go pick up the chairs and tables, after all.

The bad thing is, he's begining to feel the after effects of consuming a decent amount of alcohol last night.

He arrived at his front door a good ten minutes after he got ready to leave.

"Man, my head hurts..." Nigel rubbed the top of his head as he opened the front door. "I feel bad for leaving, but I'd get sidetracked if I stayed for breakfast."

Walking out the door, he could tell the villagers were quite busy today. It was the best day of the week to get a sale in the marketplace. _Great..._

He began following a huge group of others his age to the marketplace, hoping to blend in instead of stand out. Of course, he was sticking out a bit since he wasn't directly in their entourage.

Although not paying attention can make you stand out even more.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Nigel didn't even know he had hit anyone until something landed on his feet. He looked down.

A girl's head, severed at the neck, was laying right on top of his feet.

"It's gotta be that alcohol... nobody's head can just fall off like that..."

"Oh, great, I bumped into an alcoholic..." The severed head spoke. "Don't you dare think about moving your feet, buddy, or-"

"WHY IS IT TALKING?!" Nigel lifted his head back up, only to see a body with no head attached. "Uh..."

"Hoo boy..." The severed head was picked up by the hands of the headless body and put back in its place. "You're lucky that you just happened to stumble into this alley, or you would've caused an incident."

Now that her head was back with her body, the girl looked perfectly normal again. She had red hair with a blue bow attached in the back, and a cape that covers her neck and her mouth, probably for obvious reasons.

"S-So I'm not drunk?" Nigel blinks his eyes a few times.

"Don't act like you are," The girl shrugs. "You better pay attention next time, or something bad's gonna happen to you."

"O-Oka-"

Before Nigel could finish, the girl was already gone. _What was her deal? And why does her head pop off?_

He decided just to forget about it and move on. The marketplace was just at the end of the alley, so he didn't wander too far off course.

The man that crafted the wooden tables and chairs was waiting for him when he arrived.

"Good, you're early! My men have already started to take the chairs to that café of yours as we speak. The tables aren't too big, and they're stackable, so me and you can just carry the ten of them by ourselves."

"That's great news..." Nigel said.

"Well, they're in the back, so I'll go get them."

"Yeah..."

 _Great.. just great._

* * *

The Taoist trio arrived to the sight of chairs, stacked on top of eachother, in front of the door.

"It looketh like the chairs beith here already. Huzzah!" Futo tried to move a stack of chairs, but they wouldn't budge. "Oof..."

"Futo, wait until Nigel gets here," Miko said. "He can move them."

"Yes, Crown Prince..." Futo sits down on the ground.

"Don't sit down, I think I hear someone coming." Tojiko looks in the direction of the noise. Nigel and the crafter were coming beyond the horizon, each carrying five decently sized tables.

"Very unique looking. And stackable? Never have I seen them stack on top of eachother like that!" Miko observed.

"U-Ugh... quick, one of you two grab an end!" Nigel looked to be struggling, but the crafter was already setting down the tables by the chairs.

Miko rushed over to the opposite side of Nigel and grabbed on to the tables.

"You look horrible, Nigel!" Miko was able to see just above the tables. "What did you do last night?"

"Well, I-"

"Don't even tell me, I don't want to hear it right now," She helped Nigel guide the tables to the front door and sat them down. "Now I want you to explain everything, starting from the first step you took inside that temple."

"Jeez, lady," the crafter spoke, "you're awfully overprotective of him. A man's gotta have their privacy from their woman."

"WHAT?!" Nigel backed up into a stack of tables. "Ouch..."

"Thei- thee are mad!" Futo lashed out at the crafter, who backed up. "The Crown Prince and Nigel are in no way an... item."

"Well, excuse me!" He squinted his eyes and began to walk away. "All I'm saying is that your... whatever she is to you, would look quite nice together with this fine young man."

"Begone with you! Shoo!"

"Just pay me later, Nigel." The crafter shrugged and walked away.

"Sure..." Nigel waved at the crafter.

"Crown Prince, art thee alright?" Futo looked at Miko, who was a little red in the cheeks.

"I'm quite alright, Futo. Others are entitled to their opinions," Realizing her face was flushed, Miko lifted up her cape to her face to cover her blush. She managed to keep her composure, though. "Nigel, please move the chairs from in front of the door."

"I can try..." Nigel picked up one of the stacks of chairs, which was thankfully less bulky than the tables. He moved them with ease.

"Thank you, Nigel." Miko dropped her cape away from her face and took the key out of her pocket. She unlocked the door, and the trio of Taoists proceeded inside. Nigel followed suit, carrying the stack of chairs with him.

"Here," he sat them on the floor, "unstack them and place them on the wall."

The three of them did what was asked of them as Nigel continued to bring in the chairs, and lastly, the tables.

"Now, I'll place the tables around the room, and you can put four chairs at each of the tables."

"Are you sure four will fit at the tables?" Miko picked up one of the chairs.

"I'm not sure myself, but everything's an experiment, right?" Nigel took a table off the stack and placed it in the middle of the room.

"Experiment? That's a bad way to put it. Experiments go wrong all the time, Nigel," Miko set the chair down in front of the table. "See, they won't fit."

"Are you sure?" Nigel moved closer to Miko to see things from her perspective.

However, she began to get self-conscious, and moved a little ways from Nigel.

"You're right... two chairs, then. At least we'll have extra chairs."

"I-I know I'm right. I'm never wrong."

"Whatever you say." Nigel shrugs and begins to set the rest of the tables down.

"Crown Prince, are you alright? You're acting funny." Tojiko moved towards Miko.

"I'm fine. Peachy, even," Miko smiled. "See?"

"Right..."

"Yes, I'm right." _I think I am..._

* * *

After a few hours of experimenting, the tables and chairs had been set up accordingly.

"Phew... that was a chore." Nigel plopped down on one of the spare chairs.

"Agreed," Miko sat down beside him. "What'll we do about the extras?"

"Hm... we could use a few for a countertop bar at the front," Nigel gestured and moved his arm, "and the rest could be spares in case the others break."

"That's quite a smart idea."

On the other side of the room, Futo looked a bit uncomfortable at the sight of the Crown Prince and Nigel getting along.

Tojiko noticed this, and decided to say something.

"You look a bit annoyed," she said. "Are you-"

"That man beith right, Tojiko. But alas, I cannot bear the thought of the Crown Prince being hand in hand, arm in arm with... him." Futo crossed her arms.

"Now we're using pronouns instead of his name? Nigel didn't make that man say that."

"I do not care! That man brought up the possibility of such a thing occurring!"

"What are you two fussing about now?" Miko stood up and walked over to Futo and Tojiko.

"Crown Prince," Futo began, "doth thou haveth any feelings for him?"

Miko looked over at Nigel for a moment, then shook her head.

"I don't believe that I have such feelings for anyone, Futo."

"Feelings for who?~" As if right on cue, a certain crow tengu found her way inside the café. Aya Shameimaru, the author of the Bunbunmaru newspaper, took out a pen and a tablet. "Tell me everything!"

"Shoo, _fowl_ beast!" Futo waved Aya off.

"Wait a minute," Aya looked over at the corner, where Nigel was sitting. "Why's he here? He should be with his oh-so-serious dad right about now!"

"Huh?" Nigel looked up at Aya. "No, I work here now."

"Tell me EVERYTHING!" Aya rushed over to the seat beside Nigel and sat down.

"It's not that interesting, trust me. You'd rather hear about the café."

"I've heard rumors about such an establishment coming to fruition in Gensokyo, but I didn't think it was the real deal," Aya started scribbling down notes on her tablet. "Tell me more."

"I'm not really the proprietor; Miko is." Nigel gestured to Miko.

"Oh? Already on a first name basis?" She grinned. "I'll be sure to-"

"NO! I mean, no," Miko bursted out. "I'll tell you about the café, nothing more."

"Great!" Aya's grin was wider. "So then, who's idea was it?"

"It was my idea. I wanted something that would satisfy my need for something to do, and that would alleviate the problem of no eateries."

"How did you get **him** to work for you?"

"I just asked him. Wouldn't you get tired of following your old man in his footsteps all the time, both figuratively and literally?"

"Good point. Last question. What's the name of the café?"

" **Baron Rouge** ," Miko finished. "Is that all?"

"All that I wanted, yes. I suppose you'll be open soon?" Aya put her tablet and pen away.

"Tomorrow is opening day."

"Then I better write the article to publish in tomorrow's paper!" Aya ran out the front door, and when she was a few feet away from the café, she took off into the skies.

"Well, look on the bright side! We'll have a lot of customers!" Tojiko said.

"Yes, but knowing that tengu, she'll put a bunch of nonsense in the paper, too." Miko rolled her eyes. "Well, we've done all we can do until tomorrow."

"Nigel," Tojiko floated over to him. "You should come back to the Masouleum with us! We can celebrate the opening of the café with some food, some drinks... a few games."

"I dunno... you guys won't play any pranks on me, will you?"

"Nope!"

"You won't try anything funny?"

"Nope!"

"Well... okay."

"Great!" Tojiko hugged him from behind excitedly.

"Ack, what are you doing?!" Nigel immediately slid out from her grip.

"I thought the Buddhists were supposed to fix your problem?" Tojiko rubbed her head.

"W-Well, they didn't." Nigel scratched the top of his head.

"I bet we could fix your problem," Tojiko says, "Right, Futo?"

Futo, who wasn't really excited about the prospect, turned her head away.

"I see no point. He beith a blockhead of a man, nay, _boy_."

"Futo! That's not nice," Miko frowned. "Apologize to him."

"I will not, Crown Prince."

"What did I do?" Nigel asked.

Futo said nothing.

"I'm glad I did that too." Nigel said sarcastically.

"Futo, you're being ridiculous." Miko sighed.

A sudden movement of the door startled the four of them.

"What was that?" Tojiko looked at the now open door.

"I don't know," Miko looked over as well. "Well, let's go to the Masouleum, then."

The four over them walked out, Futo keeping her distance from Nigel. Miko noticed this, but never really said anything.

 _I wonder what's wrong with Futo? She's never acted this way before. Maybe Nigel said something?_

Miko shook her head, and didn't think about the subject any longer.

* * *

"Wow, a café!" The upbeat girl was skipping through the village, nobody seeming to notice her. She had just left... **Baron Rouge** , was it?... with nobody ever taking a glance at her. "I've gotta tell big sis about this!"

* * *

Life underground in the Palace of the Earth Spirits was quiet for Satori Komeiji. She'd always enjoy a cup of tea as she watched all of her pets. Okuu and Orin were quite a handful sometimes, but today they were off doing their respective duties. But they weren't always her favorite company.

Most of all, she enjoys the company of her younger sister. When she comes around, of course.

Today was one of those days. Her sister, Koishi, was quite an enigma. Closing her third eye meant that Satori couldn't listen to Koishi's thoughts.

And boy, was Koishi unpredictable.

"Hey, big sis! Guess what?"

"I would guess, but I'm afraid that if I do guess, I'd get it wrong." Satori sat across from Koishi at a small table. The two of them were enjoying tea.

"I went into the village today, and you know what I found?" Koishi leaned over the table. Satori shook her head, prompting Koishi to continue. "A café!"

"A... café? I don't think there's any of those above ground." Satori took a sip of tea.

"Well, now there is, and I want you, Orin, and Okuu to come eat there with me tomorrow!"

Satori nearly spit her tea out.

"Koishi, you know how the humans would feel about me if I go," Satori stated. "I'm sorry, I don't think that it's a good idea for me to leave the palace."

"Aw, big sis... come on. Do it for me."

"Ugh... I just don't know."

"Please?" Koishi put her hands together.

"I... oh, alright. Tell me, Koishi. Who's running the café?"

"Um... that girl with the funny ears and her friends."

"Ah, Miko. Those aren't ears, Koishi, that's her hair."

"There was also this one guy with them-"

"A human?" Satori looked at Koishi, who nodded.

"Yep! I think you should talk to him while we're there."

"Oh, Koishi..." Satori sighs. "What makes you think I should do that?"

"He must be special if they wanted him to work there. I bet you could find out why."

"Of course I could," Satori pours herself more tea. "And I will."

"Well, I'm gonna go back above ground!" Koishi gets up.

"... be safe." Satori says.

And like that, Koishi vanishes from Satori's sight.

 _...a human, huh?_ Satori says to herself. _Well, whoever he is,_

 _he can't be ordinary._

* * *

Ack! Sorry for the delay! School is catching up with me! Anyways...

What do you think? Does Futo have a real reason to be mad?...

I bet all of you know who Nigel ran into in the village.

Aya is... well, Aya.

And wow, Satori. Always felt like it would be great to add her in the story in some way. Koishi is a little bugger, being a little stalker in the café.

Hope I didn't butcher anyone!

Tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to tell me what I can improve on.

Thanks!

-Author


	7. Mind over Matter

I'm so sorry, guys! School sucks, by the way.

Lets get back on track.

* * *

 _Well, whoever he is... he can't be human._

Satori put her hands on her face and moaned in displeasure.

"I can't believe I got talked into something like that by Koishi. I'm slowly losing my mind."

As she contemplated her mistake, Okuu and Orin snuck up behind her...

...or at least they attempted to.

"Yes, I'm going. Unfortunately."

"It'll be fun, Satori-sama!" Orin put her hands on Satori's shoulders for encouragement.

"Yeah! Uh... maybe he'll be so happy to see us that we'll get free appetizers!" Okuu chimed in.

"Okuu, he doesn't even know us." Satori sighed.

"Unyu?" Okuu tilted her head.

"Nevermind. I'll just forget about all this until tomorrow."

 _At least I hope so..._

* * *

"Futo, quit acting like that."

"Forgive mine insolence, Crown Prince, but this beith the _boy's_ fault."

"Why is it my fault?" Nigel eyed the two from a distance as they bickered.

For the past hour that they've been walking to the Mausoleum, Futo has been keeping her distance from Nigel due to the incident that happened earlier.

"It's not his fault. You know that we're not an item." Miko flipped her hand nonchalantly.

"I have not the slightest care about whether or not he-"

"He? So now I'm at fault?"

Futo quickly realized what she previously said.

"...I believe I said too much." She blushed.

"... I won't press it any longer," Miko pointed at the Mausoleum. "because we're here."

"Look, Nigel! That's the Mausoleum in the distance." Tojiko gestures towards the Mausoleum as well.

Nigel looked.

"It's about the size of the Myouren Temple," he said.

"Please don't compare my Mausoleum to Byakuren's sham." Miko squinted.

Futo didn't say a word, but nodded in agreement.

"Alright, sorry." Nigel nodded back to Futo instead of Miko, which made Futo blush and look away.

"Quite the flustered one, aren't you, Futo?" Miko elbowed her follower, who jumped in response.

"... nay, I beith not flustered." Futo replied in a hushed tone.

"What was that?" Miko grinned.

"Crown Prince, we're inside."

Only Tojiko had noticed this before Futo spoke up.

"Oh, we are." Miko took her cape off and placed it aside on a table. "Make yourself at home, Nigel."

Nigel flopped down on the floor.

"Man, I'm so tired..."

Tojiko hovered above him and looked down.

"Oh, please. It's only been an hour of walking. Well, for you at least."

"Dang it, I'm trapped!"

"Tojiko, move thyself from above Nigel!" Futo frowned.

"Oh, now you're referring to Nigel by his name again? The Crown Prince must've knocked some sense into you." Tojiko grinned mischievously and looked back down at Nigel. "This isn't a problem, right Nigel?

"Do what I saith and move, or there **WILL** beith a problem!"

Futo adjusted herself into a fighting stance.

"Eh?" Tojiko looked up to see a plate barely miss her head. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing!"

"Oh, I'm _sorry_..." Futo threw another plate, missing again and accidentally hitting Miko in the back, shattering upon impact.

"Ouch... alright! You two need to stop arguing." Miko turned around and caught the next plate thrown.

"Oh, you've done it now, Futo!" Tojiko's hands began to brim with electricity.

"A little help, please...?" Nigel waved at Miko, who obliged and helped him out of the way of the fight.

"This is one of the reasons why it's not a good idea to put them in the same room together." Miko sighed.

"Say, uh... how long will this fight take?"

"With them, probably the whole night," Miko said, "why do you ask?"

"It's not too late to take a walk somewhere, is it?" Nigel looked at Miko.

"That depends where you want to go. I would have to tag along so you won't get lost on the way back."

"Well..."

* * *

"You wanted to go all the way back to the village..." Miko looked a bit upset.

Nigel and Miko have been walking for almost an hour, so they were almost there.

"Yeah. The evening is the best time to buy from the vendors." Nigel said.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because nobody's around."

"I see. I'll be sure to do evening shopping now that I know," she giggled, "although... I'm sure you've done your shopping in the evenings for years."

"You're right," He pointed at the outskirts of the village. "That's where slme of the shady vendors set up. I wouldn't go there if I were you."

"I can take care of myself, thank you."

Nigel couldn't really tell if she was being serious or not, because Miko refused to look at him.

"Well, er... if that's the case, then I'll go on ahead." He rubbed the back of his head.

"No."

This was the first time during the past hour that Miko looked at him.

 _I'd rather like to have seen her in a good mood, but it seems like she's turned sour._

"I refuse to let you go by yourself, at nighttime, no less."

"W-"

"Don't ask why. Be sensible instead of acting on a whim for once, Nigel!" She forced Nigel to turn around and look her straight in the eyes.

 _Do you want to die?_ She mouthed to him.

"Why in the right mind would I-"

"Your **mind** isn't functioning **right**. No wonder you make stupid decisions!" Miko crossed her arms, extremely infuriated. "Clearly you need to **sit down** and actually think about what you're doing."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, I don't think you want to get ate by a yōkai tonight!"

 _Ate... by a yōkai?_

 _Why would she be so concerned about... me?_

"But-"

"Stop arguing with me. I don't want to talk about this anymore." She uncrossed her arms and walked in front of me, stopping a few feet away from Nigel. "I suggest you keep up, or you _will_ get ate."

He thought he could see the faintest glimmer of a teardrop slide down her cheek, but he couldn't really tell for sure from the angle she stopped at.

 _What did I do?_

* * *

Soon after the ordeal, they arrived at the village in no time flat.

Miko refused to look at Nigel as he negotiated his way back into the village with the guards. She still refused to look at him as he browsed throughout the market.

"Are ya back for more, young man?" A strange looking vendor flashed multiple knives between his fingers.

"No. You carry fruit and vegetables, don't you?"

The vendor rolled his eyes, then pointed behind him at the baskets containing fruit and vegetables.

"NAH, they're just on display with a price tag underneath them," He said sarcastically.

"Well-"

"I want all of them."

Miko finally spoke up, shocking both of them.

"...what'dya say?" The vendor's jaw dropped.

"I'd like to buy all of your baskets." She put a 10,000 yen bill on the counter separating the two of them from the vendor.

"A-Aye, I'll give them to you. But-"

"Keep the change."

"...okay."

The vendor began taking the baskets down one by one and setting them on the counter.

"Why did you buy them? I was going to get them for the café." Nigel murmured to Miko as he took up a few of the baskets in each of his arms.

"There's no reason for you to spend your money other than on the more trivial things." Miko took up the rest of the baskets in her arms.

"Well..." He really couldn't disagree with that. "We don't really have any free arms for anything, so-"

"We can drop these off at the café and come back. Unless you're done shopping, Nigel?" It seemed as though Miko forgot about the events of earlier, because she was back to her usual friendly demeanor.

"Yeah. I'm shopped out."

"Then I guess we'll head back to the Mausoleum after we drop these off."

Nigel and Miko began to walk away.

"Thank ya for your patronage!" The vendor waved. "Man, those two get along really well. It's like they're-"

"I wouldn't say that out loud if I was you, mister!~" Out of nowhere, a certain green-haired satori popped into the vendor's vision.

"Eh? W-Who are-"

"They're both really sick of others saying they look good together," Koishi smiled. "plus, if you think about it, there's this huuuge age difference between them."

She outstretched her arms to emphasize.

"How can I be so sure you're tellin' the truth, missy?" The vendor crossed his arms.

"Because,

 **I am somebody you should be wary of.** "

Koishi never stopped smiling as she said those words, which creeped the vendor out.

"Isn't that a reason I _shouldn't_ trust ya...?"

"Believe what you want, mister! I've gotta catch up to those two!"

And just like that, Koishi slipped out of the vendor's vision, and out of his memories.

* * *

Miko sat the baskets down and used her key to unlock the door. Nigel made his way inside as soon as the door opened.

"Where are we setting them?" She asked, picking the baskets back up.

"In the back room. Put some sheets over them just in case a few gnats want to land on them." Nigel used his foot to flip the light switch.

"Sounds sensible enough."

They went to the back room and sat all the baskets on the floor. Miko found a sheet on one of the shelves and unfurled it, laying it on top of them.

"Let's take a basket with only vegetables back. I'm sure Futo can find a use for them _if_ and _when_ she cooks tonight."

"Alright." Nigel bent down and slid one of the baskets containing only vegetables out from under the sheet, handing it to Miko.

All of a sudden, the front door closed.

"Was that you, Nigel?" Miko refused to take her eyes off the door.

"No. I'm all the way over here." He had made his way over to one of the tables, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Then... who did that?"

It then became clear to both of them that they weren't alone.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Nigel yelled.

"Sure thing!" Koishi was sitting in the chair opposite to Nigel, her eyes fixated on him. He nearly fell out of his seat in shock.

"Eh? Aren't you Satori's sister?" Miko asked.

"Yep! I know you, too! You're that girl with the funny hair, uh... Miko, I think," Koishi turned her head to look at Miko. "and the human's sitting in front of me!"

"This human has a name." Nigel squinted.

"Yep, I know. It's Nigel," Koishi waved his comment aside. "and I know that cause I've been keeping my eyes on you."

"W-What? Keeping your eyes on him?" Miko wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "But why?"

"He's really interesting if you think about it. I mean, he did accept your offer of helping you out with your café, after all. Don't you think there's something off about that?" Koishi smiled, leaning over the table to get a closer look at Nigel.

"Urk..." Nigel instinctively slid his chair back.

"Your eyes are really blue. Did you know that?"

"YES, I KNEW THAT!" Nigel stood up, looking down at the green-haired satori. "What are you implying?"

"You've just gotta be hiding something, mister Nigel!" Koishi jumped up and stood on top of the table, now facing Nigel eye-to-eye. "My big sis'll find out tomorrow. She's really good at reading others' thoughts."

"She's right, Nigel. Satori is one of the most... undesirable yōkai to be around just because of that reason," Miko walked over to the two of them. "but if you put that aside, she's quite nice company."

"I don't have anything to hide, uh..." Nigel had no idea of the girl's name.

"Oh, you don't even know who I am!" Koishi curtsied. "Koishi Komeiji, sister of Satori Komeiji. I doubt you'll remember who I am, though."

"W-Why not?"

"Nobody ever seems to remember me except for Okuu, Orin, big sis, and a few others."

"Wait, then you're-"

"I think I've overstayed my welcome." Koishi jumped off the table and walked to the door, looking back at Nigel when she opened it. "We'll see each other again tomorrow, Nigel. I know I won't forget about _you_ , so please don't forget about _me_!"

And like that, she was gone again.

"...I'm sure I won't forget about her." Nigel pushed his chair back into the table.

"Huh? Forget about who?" Miko asked.

"Oh, it's nobody." He smiled at the confused Miko, who started to make her way to the door.

"Did we really leave the door open?"

"Yes, we did."

 _So she really is forgetable._

* * *

"Welcome back!" Futo greeted Miko and Nigel at the entrance. She looked at the basket that Miko was carrying. "What dost thou have?"

"Dinner. You can roast-"

"AYE, I WILL- I mean, aye, I will roast those vegetables over the flames." Futo took the basket.

"Thank you. Say, where is Tojiko?"

"She retired for the day. Our fight beith quite exhausting for the both of us."

"I see." Miko looked over at Nigel, who could barely keep his eyes open as it is. "Tired, Nigel?"

"A little bit." He yawned.

"Thou can't sleep yet. We need to fix thine woman problems." Futo looked at Nigel.

"Wake me up in the early morning and you can try then. I'm exhausted... plus, I'm starving!" As if on cue, his stomach growled like a lion.

"I'll start on those vegetables. Cometh with me, Nigel."

"Uh..." Nigel looked over at Miko, who nodded.

"It's fine. She's actually really good at roasting things."

"If you say so..." Nigel followed Futo into the kitchen, where there was...

... a huge open flame burning?

"Is this safe?" Nigel looked a bit skeptical.

Futo nodded.

"Aye. Trust me," she threw some of the vegetables in the flame. "I knoweth what I'm doing."

When the vegetables landed in the center, the flame grew stronger. Futo grinned like a maniac.

"I AM ENAMORED BY THIS FLAME! THE SHEER INTENSITY OF IT MAKETH ME-" She stopped as soon as she remembered that Nigel was standing right beside her. She blushed. "F-Forgive me, I have no clue what cameth over me."

"A pyromaniac, huh? I never took you for one," Nigel smiled. "in fact, I would have never known if I didn't come with you."

Futo took the vegetables out of the fire with her bare hands and sat them on a plate. Nigel took a whiff of them.

"They smell really good." Nigel picked a moderately cool cob of corn off the plate. "How did you keep it from turning into popcorn?"

"That beith my secret." Futo smiled and put the flame out.

"Hmph. I'll find out your secret someday." Nigel took a bite of the corn.

"Pfft. As if." She picked up the plate and took it to the other room, where Miko was eagerly awaiting. "It beith done, Crown Prince."

"Excellent!" Miko accepted the plate of vegetables with a huge smile plastered on her face.

Nigel attempted to grab another cob of corn, but his hand was smacked away by the ever hungry Miko. Futo giggled a bit.

"Nothing ever comes between the Crown Prince and her food."

"Ouch... yes, thanks for telling me beforehand." Nigel plopped down on the floor.

"It was quite hilarious to watch thine reaction. I couldn't help myself."

"Sorry, Nigel," Miko bit into a roasted carrot. "but I usually get feral when I'm hungry."

"Oh, I know that _now_." Nigel finally snatched a cob of corn off the plate.

"That's pretty _corny_ , you know." Miko smiled at her own joke.

"Well, you're pretty _stalky_ yourself." Nigel nearly choked on his corn laughing.

"Knock it off, nitwits." Futo smacked both of them on the back of the head jokingly.

The three of them laughed as they continued to make remarks about the vegetables to each other.

"Alright, I think it's time to sleep," Miko yawned. "Nigel, there's a bedroom just down that hallway. It's the first door on your left."

"Yep." Nigel stood up.

"Good night, Nigel."

"Night." He made his way to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

"...Crown Prince?" Futo's voice echoed through the now almost empty room.

"Yes, Futo?"

"How wouldst thee describe the feeling of love?"

"...what are you implying?" Miko glanced over at Futo, who was fidgeting around.

"E-Eh?!" Futo shot up out of her sitting position. "I be implying nothing! I am asking thine personal opinion."

"Futo, don't lie. You wouldn't say something like that unless you mean something by it."

"Urk... I'm implying that... that..." The words wouldn't come out of her mouth.

"Yes?"

"I'm implying that I, by chance, haveth those feelings for someone."

* * *

Done!

What do you think about Miko and her outburst?

What about Futo? She's 'forgiven' Nigel for what he did quite easily. But why?

And finally, Koishi is properly introduced as the stalker she is. _Maybe she'll even have a huge role in our little story for the time being_.

I hope I didn't portray anyone this chapter poorly. _Pfft, I feel like I did._

Please review! Help me to improve the best that I can!

-Author


End file.
